The content of this newsletter is just a small reflection of all of the dynamic activity around the free-flowing rivers. At the same time, being aware of all that is happening makes it even more interesting to have look at all of the different activities and to realise how broad the topic of free-flowing rivers is in practice. And not only that, but what it takes to support the achievement of 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers by 2030 as well as many other targets directly or indirectly related to freshwater ecosystems restoration.  

ECRR feedback

ECRR wants river rstoration practitioners to get acquainted with the new initiatives to support rivers and wetlands in the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the EU Green Deal and to stimulate the use of these new opportunities in the future. The articles in this newsletter actually teach us that the future started already some years ago. Each of the articles describes a start of a new initiative in the past and showing the results today. It appears that these results match very good with the objectives of the Biodiversity Strategy and the Green Deal policy. This means that implementing these strategy and policy is not starting from scratch, but that is a matter of scaling and speeding up these new types of integrated river basin restoration including funding and financing.

The European River Symposium, held virtually on May 26 and 27, successfully concluded with many insightful presentations and discussions on actions to improve the quality of European Rivers and Wetlands.The intent of the Symposium was to help participants get acquainted with the new initiatives to support rivers and wetlands in the Biodiversity Strategy and the Green Deal and to stimulate the use of these opportunities. The conference was organized by a wide range of Partner organizations and brought together  people from Government, NGOs, River Commissions, Business and Scientists to share experience and celebrate positive efforts that have been taken to restore rivers and wetlands. In this report you can read more on key themes and lessons from the Symposium.

With over one million barriers in European rivers, there is a need to prioritise those that areremoved. The programme's focus will be to support organisations and communities working to restore rivers by funding dam removal projects that have the greatest possible impact on restoring river ecosystems.